Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

In 1949, American attorney and former U.S. Army Air Forces officer Harvey Stovall (Dean Jagger) is vacationing in Great Britain when he spies a familiar Toby Jug in an English antique shop. He buys it and then goes by train and bicycle out to an abandoned airfield, the former USAAF station, RAF Archbury, where he served with the 918th Bomb Group during World War II. The scene then flashes back to RAF Archbury, c. 1942.

Colonel Keith Davenport (Gary Merrill) is the commander of the 918th Heavy Bombardment Group, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress unit based at (the fictional) RAF Archbury. Having recently arrived and being thrown into action, the 918th has suffered heavy losses, gaining the reputation as a "hard luck group" suffering from poor morale. One reason is the US strategy of daylight precision bombing and the corresponding high loss rate to enemy antiaircraft fire and enemy fighters it causes American bombers, the latter being aggravated by the fact that there are not yet any US or Allied fighters with sufficient range to escort the bombers to and from their targets.

Davenport has become too close to his men and is troubled by his losses. When he is ordered to fly one mission at low altitude to increase accuracy, Davenport rushes to headquarters and confronts his friend, Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck), the A-3 (Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations) of VIII Bomber Command. His behavior prompts Savage to go to Major General Patrick Pritchard (Millard Mitchell), commanding general of VIII Bomber Command, Eighth Air Force, and tell him that Davenport feels so much guilt about the losses that he might crack under the strain. This prompts Pritchard to visit the 918th. After interviewing Davenport and others, Pritchard recognizes that Davenport is the problem. He relieves Davenport of command and reassigns him. The 918th is given to Savage.